Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to visit Hilton Head Island and Bluffton in South Carolina. What a lovely place to vacation! There are plenty of amazing properties to see and activities to enjoy, both on land and water. Mazda invited several online influencers to explore the area. It was also a great chance to test drive the newest models in the Mazda lineup including the MX-5, CX-9, Mazda6, and Mazda3.
Our trip began when we landed at the Savannah International Airport in Georgia. This is such a cute airport and it has so much character. Those are not adjectives I’d usually use when talking about an airport but this one just had so much charm! From there it was only about 40 minutes to our hotel in South Carolina.
Bluffton & Hilton Head Island, South Carolina — Where to Stay
We stayed at the Montage Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolina. This gorgeous property sits on 20,000 acres of land. It includes guest rooms, cottages, suites, homes, restaurants, recreation activities and more. There’s quite a bit of history behind the original family that lived here as well as some of the current homes. Make sure you ask about these when you visit!
Since the property is so big and spread out, guests are chauffeured on golf carts. Or, they can borrow a bicycle to get around. I used both means since my room was in a building separate from the main inn and further away. I stayed in a Lagoon View Guest room and it was amazing! The only bad thing was that I wasn’t able to spend much time relaxing in it. 😛
Bluffton & Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with Mazda
Before we began the next day’s activities, our group was able to learn about Mazda. The company continues to produce premium cars but still at competitive prices. Their cars are designed to create an emotional response. They hope drivers will WANT to take the longer route home just to enjoy the drive a bit longer. For example, did you know that the steering wheel and pedals are perfectly centered to reduce muscle strain on the driver? The same is true by adding bottom hinge pedals.
Even with the new Lane Keep Assist feature, the car will stay in the lane but not redirect to center. That creates a more natural (and less irritating) experience. Also, using clay models, Mazda studied how people grip door handles and changed the shape to be more comfortable. Then it was time to pick a car and head to Hilton Head Island. My driving partner and I started in the Mazda CX-5. We would have the chance to try different models later on in the day.
Bluffton & Hilton Head Island, South Carolina — What to Do
We could choose to either go biking or kayaking. Since I had never been kayaking before and had always wanted to try, I went with the second group. My arms were aching towards the end but it was worth it to see flying fish, dolphins, and stingrays! Lunch was at the Salty Dog Cafe and it really hit the spot.
To close out the event, we ate the Canoe Club back at the hotel. The food was again delicious and we had the perfect view of the May River as the sun set.
I have to thank Mazda for such a wonderful introduction to this part of South Carolina. It was a great preview of what this luxury destination has to offer. Plus, it was such a different experience to see how the vehicles performed on local roads there.
Have you ever visited Bluffton or Hilton Head Island in South Carolina?
I was invited on an all-expense media trip with Mazda. All opinions are my own.
